Refrigerator car door



W. A. BEAUCHAMP REFRIGERATOR CAR DOOR May 25, 1948.

Filed April 27, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1948. w. A. BEAUCHAMP REFRIGERATOR CAR DOOR Filed April 27, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 25, 1948. w. A. BEAUCHAMP REFRIGERATOR CAB DOOR Filed April 27, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 P. m m U T em a an 0 W U y Patented May 25, 1948 I UNITED STATES. PATENT orrlcs 2,442,031 nnrnronna'ron can noon Wilfred A. Beauchamp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 27, 1948, Serial No. 665,463

23 Claims. 1

This invention relates to refrigerator car doors and more particularly to doors adapted to be moved laterally into door openings in said cars in flush relationship with the walls thereof and out of said door openings for sliding movement along said walls.

It is an object of this invention to provide doors .for refrigerator cars movable into and out of related to the bars that a more efiective utilization of force is obtained to impart rotation to the bars and move said doors into their openings.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description'ther'eof proceeds.

,In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a side Wall of a refrigerator car to which is applied a sliding 'door embodying the instant invention, the door being shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing in dot and dash lines the position of the le'vers when initial contact has been made between the door and the packing,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 2 showing the door moved out of the door opening and in position for sliding movement in opening direction.

Fi 4 is a vertical section taken on line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 corresponding to the showing of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevational detail of a portion of the vertical lever and the bracket slidably and swingably carrying the lever.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevational detail of a device. for locking and sealing the vertical lever.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, reference numeral l0 designates a side wall of a refrigerator car within which a door opening it is provided and adapted to be closed by means of a longitudinally sliding and laterally swinging tailed description is not necessary.

2 door l2. construction is well known in the art so that de- As is customary in this type of freight car, sealing means l3, known to the art as LaFlare packing, extends continuously across the top and along the sides of the door opening as is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. This-packing is adapted to be engaged against the compression of the customary springs i4 employed with the packing by the top and sidesof the door l2 which customarily completely fills the door opening so that the outer and inner faces thereof lie flush with the outer sheathing and inner linin of the car. In this manner the indicated edges of the door are sealed. Sealing means is also provided for the lower edge of the door and may be of any desired construction. The sealing means illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings embodies two sealing strips 15 and I8 secured respectively to the car" and to the inner face of the door and related as shown when the door is closed.

The door l2 may be of any desired construction. As illustrated, it embodies a rectangular metallic frame formed of upper and'lower angular rails I1 and i8 and vertical stiles l8 and 28.

The metallic frame is covered by a metallic panel 2!. Wooden filler members and 22 are seated in the rails l1 and I8 and similar wooden filler members, one of which is shown at 24 are seated in the vertical stiles l8 and 20. These filler members extend inwardly and to their inner ends a veneer panel 25 is secured. A space is thus provided between the outer metallic panel 2| and the 88 and 38 to roller hangers l8 and 4|.

inner veneer panel 25 within which any desired insulation (not shown) may be secured in order to properly insulate the door.

Mechanism is provided with doors of the type described above for moving the door l2 laterally of the car into and out of the door opening ll. As more clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, this mechanism embodies upper and lower track members 28 and 21 secured to the car above and below the door opening I I. Vertically disposed bars 28 and 29 are rotatably mounted upon the outer face of the door by means of a plurality of castings 30, 3|, and

.and 38, 34, and 35. Crank members 38 and 81 are secured to the upper ends of the bars 28 and 28 and are rotatably secured as by means of bolts These hangers carry rollers 42 and 43 which are adapted to roll along the upper track 28 and are formed with hook-shaped portions such as 44 which embrace a portion of the upper track 28 The refrigerator car is of a type whose 3 e as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to prevent accidental disengagement of the upper portion of the door from the track.

Crankv members 45 and 46 are secured to the lower portion of the rotatable bars 28 and 29 and are rotatably secured to hangers 46"- and 4| formed with hook members such as 41 adapt ed to embrace a portion of the lower track 21 so as to prevent accidental disengagement of the lower portion of the door from the car side. The hook portions 44 and 41 serve also to guide the door in its sliding movement longitudinally of the car.

Collars 48 and 49 are rigidly securedto the rotatable bars 28 and 29 and to these collars are pivotally secured the bar operating levers 50 and The operation of the bars 28 and 29 by means of the levers 59 and 5| in order to force the door into the door opening against the spring pressed LaFlare packing and to move the door out of the door opening so that it may be slid longitudinally of the car to open position will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The operation of forcing the door into the door opening, however, by means of levers such as 50 and 5| has in the past been exceedingly difficult, particularly where, as is very frequently the case, the closing operation must be performed from the ground. In this situation the operator must raise his hands above his head in order to grasp the levers 50 and 5| to exert a force upon the door to move it into the door opening and the force which he can exert for this purpose is relatively small and inefiectively utilized. The instant invention provides a mechanism whereby the lateral movement of the door into its opening can be accomplishedwith far greater facility and with the effective utilization of the force applied for this purpose. Moreover, the invention accomplishes this end with equal ease from the ground and from a platform.

This mechanism embodies a bracket 52 secured as by means of riveting to the outer metallic panel 2| of the door above the levers 56 and 5|. The sides 53 and 54 of the bracket are formed with inclined slots one of which is shown at 55. The inner wall 56 of the bracket is open and the slots extend outwardly from the inner wall. This permits the assembly of the vertically disposed lever 51 with the bracket 52 by the insertion of pins 58 and 59 provided onthe bracket into the slots such as 55. After assembly has been completed the bracket 52 is riveted to the door panel 2| so that the lever 51 is then securely retained upon the door.

The vertical lever 51 extends downwardly beyond the horizontal levers 58 and 5| as more clearly shown in Fig. 1 and at its lower end is formed with a projection 6|] which prevents'the foot of the operator from slipping ed the lever when it is actuated to force the door into the door opening while the operator is standing on a platform. Intermediate its ends the vertical lever 51 is formed with oppositely extending ears 6| and 62 which when the lever is actuated for its intended purpose are in alignment with the horizontal levers 56 and 5|. The horizontal levers are so designed that when the door is in closed position they terminate short of the vertical lever 51 but are overlapped by the ears 6| and 62 on the latter lever.

The vertical lever 51 provides means easily accessible and operable both from the ground and from platforms for effectively applying a 1 force to the adjacent'endsof the levers 50 and 49 and are received within the jaws 63 and 64 formed on the brackets 3| and 34, are swung out of these jaws and into a horizontal position.

The horizontal levers are then swung toward each other thereby imparting rotation to the bars 28 and 29 and to the cranks fastened to the upper and lower ends of the bars. The rotation of the bars and their cranks moves the door partly into the door opening with relatively little effort. When the door contaots the LaFlare packing, however, a far greater efiort is required to move the door completely into the door opening. When this contact occurs, the horizontal levers 50 and 5| which lie outwardly of the ears 6| and 62 are supported upon inclined ledges 65 and 66.

ing permitted by the sliding of the pins 58 and 59 in the slots such as 55 formed in the bracket 52. The upward movement of the verticallever 51 raises the ears 6| and 62 until they lie above the horizontal levers 50 and 5| thereby permitting the vertical lever to be swung outwardly between the adjacent ends of the horizontal levers. The vertical lever 51 is then loweredso that the ears- 6| and 62 overlap the adjacent ends of the horizontal levers 56 and 5|. A force is then applied to the lower endof the vertical lever 51 so as to swing it inwardly andduring this swinging movement the ears 6| and 62 being engaged with the horizontal levers 50 and 5| apply a substantial force thereto so as to readily complete the .lateral movement of the,

door into the door opening.

After the door has been fully closed as set forth above, the vertical lever 51 is locked and sealed. For this purpose the vertical lever is provided with a stud 61 which engages and automatically raises a catch 68 pivotally supported by means of a bracket 69 set into the door and secured as by meansof rivets to the outer metallic panel, 2| as more clearly shown in Figs. 7

5 and 8 of the drawings. To insure that the pivot catch 68 will be in proper position for engagement by the stud 61, the catch is provided with a tail piece 10 which engages the bracket 69 for the purpose indicated. The tail piece 10 serves the further purpose of insuring locking engagement between the catch 68 and the stud 61, this being accomplished by its cooperation with a projection 1| extending inwardly from the inner edge of the vertical lever. Should the catch 68 fail to have locking engagement with the stud 61 when the vertical lever 51 is swung inwardly, the projection 1| will engage the tail piece 10 and swing the catch downwardly into locking engagement with the stud.

When the vertical lever 51 is in locked position as shown in full lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it

is sealed by means of a seal (not shown) which passes through a seal slot 12 formed in a flange position the projection 1| lies below a hub 15 formed on the pivoted catch 68 and cooperates therewith to prevent upward vertical movement The operator then 1 slides the vertical lever 51 upwardly, this beof the lever. This insures against disengagement of the stud 81 from the pivoted catch without breaking the seal. 1

The instant invention has been described particularly in its relationship to laterally movable doors for refrigerator cars to which it is especially applicable. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to such doors for refrigerator cars only but is applicable as well to laterally movable doors for other types of railway cars and to other types of doors for refrigerator and other railway cars where the doors are disposed in the door openings.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications inthe details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, levers mounted on said bars, said levers being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bars, and a vertically swingable lever mounted on said door, said latter lever being engageable with said horizontally swingable levers to impart swinging movement thereto.

2. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable levers mounted upon said bars for imparting rotation thereto, said levers being spaced apart, a vertically swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned levers, said vertically swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers, and ears on said vertically swingable leverengageable with said first mentioned levers for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto.

3. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars, rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, levers mounted on said bars, said levers being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bars, a vertically swingable lever mounted on said door, said latter lever being engageable with said horizontally swingable levers to impart horizontal swinging movement thereto, and means on said door for supporting said first mentioned levers in position for engagement by said vertically swingable lever.

4. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable levers mounted swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers, ears on said vertically swingable lever engageable with said first mentioned levers for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto, and means on said door for supporting said first mentioned levers in position for engagement by said ears.

5. In a sliding door for railway carshaving a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of. said door opening, levers mounted on said bars, said levers being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bars, a vertically swingable lever mounted on said door, said latter lever extending below said first mentioned levers and being engageable therewith to impart horizontal swinging movement thereto, means on said vertically swingable lever, and means on said door automatically engageable with said lever means to lock said lever after said door has been moved into said door opening.

6. In a'sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for lon gitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, levers mounted on said bars, said levers being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bars, a vertically swingable lever mounted on said door, said latter lever extending below said first mentioned levers and being engageable therewith to impart horizontal swinging movement thereto, a stud on.said vertically swingable lever, a locking member pivotally mounted on said door, means on said locking member engageable with said door to position said locking member for automatic locking engagement with said stud after said door has been moved into upon said bars for imparting rotation thereto,

said door opening, and mean-s on said vertically swingable lever engageable with said means on said locking member to insure locking engagement between said locking member and said stud. 7. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means em-- ing, horizontally swingable levers mounted upon said bars for imparting rotation thereto, said levers being spaced apart, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned levers, said slidable and swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers, and ears on said slidable and swingable lever engageable with said first mentioned levers for imparting swinging movement thereto.

8. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means em-' bodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door open-,

extending below said first mentioned levers, said slidable and swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers,

ears on said slidable and swingable lever engageable with said first mentioned levers for imparting swinging movement thereto, and means jon said door for supporting said flrstmentioned levers in position for engagement by said ears.

9. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable levers mounted upon said bars for imparting. rotation thereto, said levers being spaced apart, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned levers, said slidable and swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers,

being swingable horizontally to impartrotation.

to said bar and a vertically swingable lever mounted on said door, said latter lever being engageable with said horizontally swingable lever to impart horizontal swinging movement thereto.

11. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with-a door opening, means embodying a vertically. disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door 101. longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, a horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned lever in spaced relation thereto, and an car on said slidable and swingable lever, said latter lever being swingable downwardly and said ear being engageable with said first mentioned lever for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto.

12. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with, a door opening, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said door opening, a horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned lever in spaced relation thereto, an ear. on said slidable and swingable lever, said latter lever being swingable downwardly and said car being engageable-with said first mentioned lever for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto, and means on said door for supporting said first mentioned lever in position for engagement by said ear.

13. In a railway car having a wall member provided with a door opening and a door member, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door member for imrotatably door opening, a lever mounted on said bar, said lever being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bar, and a vertically swingable lever mounted on one of saidmembers, saidlatter lever being-engageable with said horizontally swingable lever to impart horizontal swinfling movement thereto.

14. In a railway car having a wall member provided wlth'a door opening and a door member, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on sald'door member for imparting movement thereto into and out of said door opening, a horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on one of said members and extending below said first mentioned'lever in spaced relation thereto, and an ear on said slldable and swingable lever, said latter lever being swingable downwardly and said ear being engageable with said first mentioned lever for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto.

15. In a railway car having a wall member" provided with a door opening and a door member, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably'mounted on said door member for imparting movement thereto into and out of said door opening, a horizontally swingable levermounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on one of said members and extending below transverse movement into and out of said door opening, horizontally swingable levers mounted upon said bars for imparting rotation thereto, said levers being spaced apart, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned levers, said slidable and swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers, ears on said slidable and swingable lever engageable with said first mentioned levers for imparting swinging movement thereto, and means for preventing sliding movement of said vertically slidable and swingable lever.

1'7. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying vertically disposed bars rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and transverse movement into and out of said dooropening, horizontally swingable levers mounted upon said bars for imparting rotation thereto, said levers being spaced apart, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on said door and extending below said first mentioned levers, said slidable and swingable lever being swingable downwardly between said first mentioned levers, ears on said slidable and swingable lever engageable with said first mentioned levers for imparting swinging movement thereto, means for looking said vertically'slidable and swingable lever parting movement thereto into and out of said 15 against swinging movement and means for preventing sliding movement of said vertically slidable and swingable lever.

I an ear on said slidable and swingable lever, said 18. In a railway car having a wall member I provided with a door opening and a door member, means embodying a, vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door member for imparting movement thereto into and out of said door opening, a horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on one of said members and extending below said first mentioned lever in spaced relation thereto, an ear on said slidable and swingable lever, said latter lever being swingable down- W y and said ear being engageable with said first mentioned lever for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto, and means for prelatter lever being swingable downwardly and said earbeing engageable with said first mentioned lever for imparting horizontal swinging movementthereto, means on said door member for supporting said first mentioned lever in position for engagement by said ear, and means for preventing sliding movement of said vertically slidventing sliding movement of said vertically slidable and swingable lever.

19. In a railway car having a wall member provided with a 'door opening and a door member, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door member for imparting movement thereto into and out of said door openins, a horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on one of said members and extending below said first mentioned lever in spaced relation thereto, an ear on said slidable and swingable lever, said latter lever being swingable downwardly and said ear being'engageable with said first mentioned lever for imparting horizontal swinging movement thereto, means for locking said vertically slidable and swingable lever against swinging movement and means for preventing sliding movement of said vertically slidable and swingable lever.

20. In a railway car having a wall member provided with a door opening and a door member, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door member 101' imparting movement thereto into and out of said door opening, a horizontally swingable lever mounted on said bar for imparting rotation thereto, a vertically slidable and swingable lever mounted on one of said members and extending below said first mentioned lever in spaced relation thereto,

.bodying vertically disposed bars mounted on said door for supporting said door,

able and swingable lever.

21. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means emrotatably for longitudinal movement along said car and traverse movement into and out of said door opening, levers mounted on said bars, said levers being swingablehorizontally to impart rotation to said bars, and a vertically movable member mounted on said door, said member being engageable with said horizontally swingable levers to impart swinging movement thereto.

22. In a sliding door for railway cars having a wall provided with a door opening, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door for supporting said door for longitudinal movement along said car and traverse movement into and out of said door opening, a lever mounted on said bar, said lever being swingable horizontally to impart rotation to said bar, and a vertically movable member mounted on said door, said member being engageable with said horizontally swingable lever to impart horizontal swinging movement thereto.

23. In a railway car having a wall member provided with a door opening and a door member, means embodying a vertically disposed bar rotatably mounted on said door member for imparting movement thereto into-and out of said door opening, a lever mounted on said bar, said lever being swingable horizontally to impart rotation a movement thereto.

wit-mm) A. BEAUCHAMP. 

